


of fallen stars and stellar skies

by WishingTree



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Stardust AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingTree/pseuds/WishingTree
Summary: No person can live forever, except for one who possesses the heart of a star.When a star falls from the sky, Yaz sees an opportunity to prove herself and crosses the wall to retrieve it. Unbeknownst to her, that’s the moment she also crosses into another world, and in meeting the star, she embarks on an adventure that will change her life forever.Stardust AU





	of fallen stars and stellar skies

**Author's Note:**

> Right guys looks like the muse came through! Here’s the stardust au take two!! Again, it’s based on the 2007 movie, which is absolutely fantastic so everyone check it out if you haven’t already
> 
> Special thanks to [faeyydom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faeyydom/pseuds/faeyydom/) and [LadyCaitlynCrowne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCaitlynCrowne/) for helping me out and talking it through with me!! And also for the general help and the general being amazing and sticking around

_A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?”_

_Pointless, really._

_Do the stars gaze back?_

_…Now that’s a question._

 

_Long ago, the skies of Stormhold were full of stars, full of life and light and magic, and only legends will tell of a time before they all went out. Now, the sky is almost black, save for the remnants of the battle long fought, the battle with no winner - and amongst the brutal scars scattered through the sky, amongst the explosions and dustings and echoes of what used to be, there stands one single, solitary star._

_This remaining star is the last of its kind, the very last of the stars, and it continues to shine on through the darkness, just as it has for centuries…_

_Until now._

_Until the night it falls._

 

~~~

 

In the small countryside village of Sheffield, Yasmin Khan strides into her house, only just resisting the urge to slam the door shut behind her.

“I’m home,” she calls out instead, shrugging off her jacket and hanging it up as she does her best to block out the memory of the sneers and disdain from the other villagers. 

It’s not an unusual occurrence, dealing with that, and she’s even almost used to it, passing by some of the village’s more affluent families and ignoring their jeers. But that doesn’t mean she’s willing to accept it, any more than it means she thinks they’re right.

Because she knows they’re wrong.

Taking a deep breath, she settles herself in front of the open window and leans forward on her elbows, holding it in for several seconds before blowing out as slowly as she can. If only there was something she could _do_ , some way she could prove to them that she wasn’t inferior to them in any way. It’s calm outside, that time of night where the world seems to be waiting expectantly for something new to happen, and Yaz lets her eyes slip shut as she tries to enjoy the slight nighttime breeze that ruffles her hair, tilting her head up towards the sky.

When she’s settled, she blinks her eyes open and immediately catches her breath, because that’s the exact moment a dazzling streak of light soars across the sky.

A shooting star.

It continues to move across the sky, and then Yaz realizes that it’s not just flying, it’s _falling_. It’s on a downwards descent, and she watches with bated breath as it seems to get closer, eventually flaring brightly and disappearing behind the tree line.

She stares at the spot it had disappeared in shock, vision suddenly so much darker, and her mind begins to race. None of the other families have their own _stars_ , not even the richest of them, and Yaz inhales sharply. It’s probably worth something as well.

Her eyes flash, and she knows what she has to do.

“Hey Mum, I’m going out and I’ll be late, so don’t get worried if you wake up and I’m still not back, alright?” Yaz calls out, pushing herself up and moving towards the door, “Just going to nip out for a bit!” 

“Yaz, where could you possibly have to go? It’s already late, darling,” Najia Khan says in concern, poking her head around the corner before approaching her daughter. “Is something wrong?” 

“A star fell, and I’m going to be the one to get it,” Yaz nods decisively. 

“A star? Yaz – ” 

“It’s my chance to prove myself!” 

Najia sighs, pressing her lips together in a tired sort of resignation Yaz is far too used to seeing, and it only makes Yaz more determined to succeed.

“Mum, it’ll be fine,” she promises, rolling her eyes as she slips on her jacket, “I’m just going to pick it up, it might take a few days. Walk a few miles, find the crater, collect the star! Simple.” 

“…Alright, dearest,” Najia inclines her head, “I know I can’t stop you. As long as you promise to be careful.” 

Yaz nods again, coming over to give her a tight hug.

“I need this, Mum,” Yaz says, struggling to find the words that would explain properly, “I… We… This’ll change things. I know it.” 

Najia hugs her back, and Yaz closes her eyes and presses her face into her shoulder. “I know, Yaz,” Najia hums, “I know.” She continues to hold her for a long moment before letting go and stepping back, and then she nods her head towards the door with a small smile. “Off you pop, then. Before it gets even later.” 

Yaz’s heart swells, and she tackles her in another quick hug before nodding and hurrying outside, shouting, “I love you, Mum!” over her shoulder as she pulls the door shut behind her.

It’s quiet outside, the world hushed like it’s waiting for something, and Yaz takes a deep breath as she sets off in the direction she had seen the star fall. Walking quickly past the village square and the homes of those who always thought of her and her family as lesser, Yaz turns her nose up and continues her trek, determined not to dwell on it.

It won’t be for long, because she’s going fetch a falling star.

Soon after she leaves the village limits, she comes to a low wall, stones old and crumbling where they come up to her waist, and when she approaches it the air develops a strange humming quality to it, buzzing and running over her skin. She slows, suddenly unsure, but the entire area is deserted, and she chastises herself for being ridiculous.

Examining the wall carefully, she turns her head and notes that it extends out in either direction as far as she can see, cutting through the otherwise empty space. It’s fairly impressive, and she wonders why she’s never noticed it before. Shrugging, she tilts her head and cautiously reaches out, passing her hand over the top and wondering if she’s imagining the way it seems to be alive with some kind of sparking energy. She considers it, and then stands back and huffs a laugh. It’s just a wall.

Either way, the star had fallen somewhere beyond it, which means she has to cross it, and Yaz takes a step back to look it over again.

She spots a gap, a small section where the stones have caved in on themselves, and she easily hops over it and makes to continue on her way. She tells herself to ignore the strange feeling that washes over her with the motion, and she almost succeeds.

However, something shifts unexpectedly as soon as she does, and then the field in front of her suddenly seems much larger, much wider than previously anticipated. The grass is now tall enough to cover her ankles, there are trees stretching higher than anything she’s ever seen in Sheffield, and it’s quiet. 

But strangest of all is the fact that the sky is suddenly… different. Instead of her usual faint view of stars as seen on an average Sheffield night, there are smudges of light scattered across the sky, little pinpricks of dulled brightness, and she stares. They don’t quite look like the stars knows, and she furrows her brow.

Something is off about them, something unsettling, and Yaz shivers before tearing her eyes away and setting off again.

There’s a star for her to find.

Again, she hasn’t taken more than a couple steps before her foot knocks against something hard in the grass, and she stops once more to look down.

It’s some kind of leather cuff, black with a cracked piece of tech in the shape of a small rectangle with buttons and a dial in the middle, and she bites her lip as she bends to pick it up, turning it this way and that. It’s clearly broken, although she hasn’t the faintest idea what it is, and something about it feels significant, like it’s more important than she knows it to be.

She hesitantly pokes at the dial, and then doesn’t even have time to scream before she’s suddenly pulled forward through space at a lightning–fast speed. The world rushes past her in a dizzying blur, and the next thing she knows she’s being thrown forward to collide with something and hit the ground.

There’s a dull thump as she drops whatever that thing is, and she gasps in a few shuddering breaths to try and calm her heart rate.

Groaning, she slowly tries to roll onto her back, keeping her eyes shut and attempting to feel out if anything is hurt. She doesn’t quite succeed, her hand slipping on something that is decidedly not solid ground, and she furrows her brow in confusion.

Then there’s an answering groan from below her, and she snaps her eyes open.

She’s… lying on top of a woman.

She’s lying on top of a woman? It appears that she’s lying on top of a woman.

As soon as this registers, Yaz widens her eyes and scrambles backwards, stuttering apologies and hurrying to get off of the stranger. It goes poorly, and all she achieves is tipping herself over onto the ground, tangling their legs together. Yaz’s cheeks feel like they’re on fire, and she begins to babble as she tries to get her shin out from under the woman’s knee, biting her lip to cut off her apologies.

The woman wriggles, probably trying to help, and Yaz finally gets one leg free, pinwheeling her arms and landing flat on her back when she forgets that the other one is also wedged under her. Yaz counts it as a win regardless, and then, unfortunately for her intentions to pull herself together, she looks up.

The woman has pushed herself up onto her elbows and shakes her head, a mess of blond hair obscuring her face, and Yaz can only stare, now sitting at her side. She’s wearing a raggedy suit, comically oversized and clearly in terrible condition, and as Yaz watches, she brings up slender hands to push the hair away from her face, lifting her head. Her eyes are gentle, sparkling unlike anything Yaz has ever seen, and she actually looks like she’s glowing.

…Glowing?

“I’m so sorry! Are – are you alright, madam?” Yaz stutters out helplessly when she realizes she can’t just keep staring at her, and she flushes again when the woman inhales sharply, like she’s only just remembered to breath.

“…Why are you calling me madam?” she blinks at her, hazel eyes earnest and bright, and Yaz hesitates.

“Because… you’re a woman?”

“Am I?” The woman beams at that, a smile breaking across her face and completely stealing Yaz’s breath yet again, and she’s _beautiful_. “Does it suit me?” 

Yaz furrows her brow, opening her mouth but unsure of what to say as light seems to continue radiating off of her, and the woman throws her head back and laughs delightedly.

“Sorry, half an hour ago I was – ohh!” the woman cuts herself off, eyes widening with glee, “You’ve got a vortex manipulator! Or the bits of one, looks a little broken now.” 

“What’s a… vortex manipulator?” Yaz manages, glancing down at the cuff sitting on the ground next to her. It does look decidedly worse than before, cracked and bent out of shape, but the woman holds out both hands and Yaz passes it all over.

“Cheap and nasty way to travel, but it’ll do in a pinch,” the woman tells her absently, face arranged intently as she leans forward to examine it. “Can I keep these pieces?”

Yaz shrugs, more focused on the way her blonde hair seems to contain something like the light of the stars. “Uh, sure. S’pose so.” 

“Brilliant!” she beams again, shooting Yaz an excited glance before bending over the shattered technology once more, “Oh, I’ve never seen anything like this up close, is everything always so exciting on Earth?” 

“Well, I mean…” Yaz is taken aback, looking her over again, “Uh, on Earth? What – what does that mean?” 

“I’ve always wanted to see Earth!” is what she says instead of answering the question, grinning broadly, “Oh, how I used to dream about this!”

Yaz blinks again, trying to understand, but the woman really is far too distracting for this. Especially since they’re so close together, and Yaz remembers that they probably need to sort themselves out before she gets into it. 

“Oh, we should – I – I’m very sorry for crashing into you, I’m not even sure how that happened, but we should…” She waves a hand at where they’re still partially on top of each other, and the Doctor makes an understanding noise.

“Right, of course!” 

Flushing again, Yaz tries to untangle their legs with as much grace as she can manage – judging by the giggle she gets from the other woman, she fears that it’s not very much. 

“Aren’t legs just marvelous things?” the woman says in hushed amazement, and Yaz doesn’t know what to make of that, so she ignores it for the time being and continues to struggle. 

Eventually getting free, she exhales and then stumbles to her feet, reflexively reaching down to help the woman up. Again, she’s sure she has to be imagining the way she’s shining in the dim light.

“Thanks.” 

…She really doesn’t think she’s imagining it.

The woman’s hand is soft, and Yaz stubbornly ignores the way her heart is racing again. She can very well deal with that later.

“Who are you?” she asks carefully once they’re both standing, looking the woman over before forcing herself to meet her eyes again.

“I’m the Doctor,” the woman – the Doctor? – says, obviously satisfied with her new gadget when she shoves the remains of the vortex manipulator into the inside pocket of her coat and looks up, “Traveler extraordinaire! Well, this is the first time I’ve travelled anywhere, but I think it counts, don’t you?”

“I – sure?”  

“There’s so much to see!” the Doctor grins at her, throwing her arms up and tilting her head back to look at the sky. A moment passes where her face seems to fall as she does this, and Yaz looks up to follow her gaze, not spotting anything except the weird stars.

“The Doctor?” Yaz repeats then, partially because it’s a strange name, and partially in hopes of diverting her attention from whatever had captured it, and the Doctor nods eagerly, snapping out of it. 

“Exactly! Hello!” 

“…Alright,” Yaz says, “Well, I’m Yasmin Khan. Yaz to my friends.” Looking around, Yaz finally takes in the scene around her, having been too distracted by the Doctor to properly survey her surroundings before.

They’re standing in the middle of what appears to be some kind of crater, ground curving up around them, and the dirt has been very recently disturbed, clumps of grass and soil having just been thrown about. It looks like some sort of crash site, and understanding dawns in her mind. 

“Oh! Have you – sorry, have you seen a fallen star anywhere around here?” she asks, spinning in case she’s missed it lying somewhere nearby, “This - this must have been where it fell!” 

The Doctor looks around, furrowing her brow, and then she blinks a couple of times and lifts a hand.

“Hello,” she says again, waving, and then she seems to get distracted by the sight of her own fingers, staring in awe and wiggling them in front of her face.

“Hi,” Yaz repeats dumbly, watching her and waiting a second before prompting, “Yes, but, the star?” 

The woman looks up once more and waves her raised hand a couple times. “Yes, I – that’s me!” she smiles proudly, puffing up her chest and then spreading her arms out to the side, “Hello!” 

Yaz stares, not understanding. “What’s you?” 

“I…” the Doctor falters, “I’m the star?” 

A beat passes, and then Yaz’s mouth drops open. “You – _you’re_ the star,” she states unsurely. “…You’re the star?” 

The Doctor perks up with a happy sounding hum. “Yep,” she nods, still holding her arms out. She has a pleased smile on her face as she shifts around, and Yaz feels a bit dazed.

“Um… you’re sure? A proper star?”

“Fairly certain, yup!” the Doctor says, scrunching up her face playfully, “I am a genuine, original star, I am.” She bounces on her toes and then whirls around to attempt a cartwheel, but she only succeeds in tumbling over herself and winding up back on the ground. She quickly scrambles to her feet and dusts herself off, and Yaz blinks again. 

“I was expecting a lump of space rock, not…” she trails off and gestures helplessly at the Doctor. “I’m… supposed to bring a person back to Sheffield now?” 

The Doctor tilts her head to the side in question, still not standing still and sounding far too thrilled when she asks, “Sheffield?”

“That’s where I’m from. Across the wall.” Yaz hooks her thumb over her shoulder but then realizes that since she’d apparently been teleported, she has absolutely no idea where she is, nor how to get back. “Oh. Um, well, my town, it’s called Sheffield. I’m supposed to bring the fallen star back.” 

The Doctor shrugs. “Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get there! I – Wait!” She whips her head back and forth, almost tipping herself over again as she overbalances. “Oh, I’ve lost my TARDIS!” she gasps. 

She sounds so distressed that Yaz automatically draws herself up, fight or flight response at the ready. “TARDIS?” 

“My ship. That’s how I left the sky, but something went wrong and I was thrown out. And now I’ve lost her!” Looking up, the Doctor raises her hands and furrows her brow in distress.

“Well… what does it look like?” 

“Magic blue box, I reckon. Police box.” 

Yaz squints. “You… your ship looks like a magical blue police box?”

The Doctor nods seriously, obviously not seeing anything out of the ordinary about that, but then again, apparently she’s also a _star_.

None of this is what Yaz expected, and Yaz is stuck halfway between amused and dumbstruck.

“So you’re a star, and you fell from the sky, and you have a ship that looks like a box?” 

The Doctor nods again, and Yaz shrugs. “…Alright.”

“Tell you what,” the Doctor turns, bounding over to place her hands on Yaz’s shoulders, “You help me find my ship, and you can show me off in Sheffield, prove to everyone you found the star. I’ll take you right back home, quick as can be!”

Yaz blinks at her. “You can do that?”

“‘Course!” she nods eagerly, “My ship is the very best, I promise. Can take you anywhere you want! Mostly.” 

“Mostly?”

“Sometimes. Usually. More or less.” She nods vigorously. “Yes. Fantastic ship, she is!”

Feeling a laugh bubble out of her, Yaz finds herself smiling, and the Doctor brightens. It’s both figurative and literal, and Yaz stares in awe. 

“So what do you say? Wanna come?” 

The Doctor is clearly waiting for an answer, practically vibrating as she tries to hold herself still, and Yaz finds that there’s no doubt about her answer. This is definitely more of an adventure than she’d anticipated, but something about this woman is so fascinating, drawing her in. Yaz reminds herself to nod, and then she laughs again as she watches the Doctor beam in response.

“Brilliant!” her eyes glint excitedly as she grabs Yaz’s hand and rocks back on her heels, “Then let’s get a shift on!” 

Yaz smiles and lets herself be tugged forward even though it’s quite obvious the Doctor doesn’t know where she’s going, following as she sets off in a seemingly random direction. She has absolutely no idea what’s going to happen next, but she can say one thing with certainty: she’s never been so excited to find out.

 


End file.
